375 SHAO YAOTING KILLED THEM ALL?
Yu Ming previously only created a hole as big as his body in the barrier, and he also said that their time was tight, and that was why Bai Chen and Wu Jingguo could only think about how they could run through the barrier without thinking about anything else.
In the end, only the three of them entered Dong Lang, whereas the three stallions were left outside the barrier. Bai Chen panicked a little when he just remembered that the white horse wasn’t with him when he was already at Dong Lang.
Of course, he panicked because he knew that the white horse belonged to Wu Jinhai, and it was also said that the horse was one of Wu Jinhai’s favorites. However, Yu Ming later said that the three horses were not ordinary, and they would definitely be able to survive outside the barrier even without their master. Yu Ming also said that the Emperor’s army would probably arrive at the place soon, and they would surely guard the horses.
Bai Chen felt better after hearing Yu Ming’s explanation, and that was why he could calmly walk with the two older men. For some reason, Yu Ming and Wu Jingguo walked side by side in front of him, and he could only timidly follow them from behind.
What if suddenly there was an ambush from behind? Bai Chen was aware of that possibility, and that was why he glanced back from time to time to make sure no danger was stalking him from behind.
“Too quiet,” Wu Jingguo suddenly muttered as he shifted his gaze to scan his surroundings.
The three of them had walked for nearly an hour from the border between Dong Lang and Wu Li, and that was why they were no longer in the forest area now. Instead, they were walking through residential areas in Dong Lang, so it wouldn’t be surprising for them to walk past quite a number of residential areas. However, the thing that made it feel strange was the fact that the area was too quiet.
Even at the markets or areas that were supposed to be filled with people, all of them were deserted, and it didn’t even show any sign of living people.
Bai Chen also noticed the oddity, and that was why he nervously asked, “Do you think this is a trap? No one is guarding the border between Dong Lang and Wu Li, and no one is also trying to stop us from approaching the Rongyao Imperial Palace. It’s possible if it’s a trap, right?”
.....
Bai Chen was inexperienced, and that was why he had the most worry on his face compared to Yu Ming and Wu Jingguo.
“I don’t think it’s a trap,” Yu Ming replied calmly. “Instead of seeing it as a trap, I just think that they are deliberately luring us into the Rongyao Imperial Palace.”
“...” Bai Chen did not voice a response upon hearing Yu Ming’s opinion.
What is the difference between luring and trapping? In Bai Chen’s eyes, the two terms meant the same thing; it was a sneaky move from their opponent.
“Rather than thinking about the possible trap set by our enemies, I’m more worried about the innocent people living in this area. Where are they now? It seems these houses are empty. Did Shao Yaoting kill them all?” Wu Jingguo said the question, and Bai Chen’s eyes widened slightly after hearing it.
He insisted on returning to Dong Lang not only because he wanted to save his father, but he especially wanted to save his people. But it seemed that Wu Jingguo was right about the residential area in Dong Lang looked like it had been abandoned, and Bai Chen couldn’t help but think that the Crown Prince might also be right about the reason behind the strangeness. Shao Yaoting might have killed those innocent people.
“I don’t think Shao Yaoting killed those innocent people,” Yu Ming voiced his opinion. “He wants to become the new Emperor of Dong Lang, and his only enemies are those from the White Werewolf Clan. Moreover, to become the Emperor of an empire, one must have people who bow down and respect them, and there is no point in killing those innocent people even if that old bastard indeed can be too cruel. I think those bad guys are just taking Dong Lang’s people somewhere to scare them.”
Suddenly, Bai Chen thought that Yu Ming’s opinion also made sense, and that was why he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At the very least, there was hope that his people were still alive, and that was why he wanted to save them as soon as possible.
However, it wasn’t even a minute after Bai Chen heaved a sigh of relief before he heard Yu Ming speak again, “Let’s pray for those bad guys not to use innocent people as hostages to suppress us later.”
“...” Bai Chen didn’t know how to react. At this moment, he also had to admit that Yu Ming once again had a point. Even if it was useless for Shao Yaoting to kill innocent people, it was still useful to hold them hostage so that they would be able to achieve their goals.
The three of them continued walking down the empty street, but again no one broke the silence. Only the contact between their shoes and the ground could be heard at this time, and after walking for another hour, they finally arrived in front of the Rongyao Imperial Palace.
It had only been a few days since Bai Chen had left the palace, but he somehow felt a different atmosphere. At this moment, his memory drifted to the day he left the palace with Zhu Ge. At that time, he could see the people from the Black Werewolf Clan gathering in front of the palace, but he didn’t expect that they would rebel for real.
There was some regret in his heart when he realized that he wasn’t sensitive enough to read the signs at that time, but he knew that regret wouldn’t change anything, and that’s why he took a deep breath before saying, “Let’s go to Zuigao Hall. I’m pretty sure our enemies are waiting for us there.”